Ethnographic Description of the Eskimo Settlements 289 



Mouth of Lakseelven (lat. 76° 55', long. 20° 10'). On the high 

 bluff west of the mouth of Lakseelven we found 2 tent-rings, 1 

 shelter and a stone structure made by children. 



From the tenting ground there is a very wide view over Dove 

 Bugt north of Orienteringsøerne, but it is onl}^ at Hvalrosodden 

 which lies somewhat more to the south that one can land w'ith 

 the sledge or kayak. When the rivers begin to flow in the spring 

 a large basin of open water is formed off the mouth of Lakseelven, 

 and here we find the first arrivals of the walrus and sea-birds. 

 This open basin is formed long before the ice of the bay breaks 

 up, and in summers wdien this does not occur, the water of the 

 river spreads many kilometers out over the bay, so that the seals 

 cannot crawl up and the ice is impassable for sledging, and boating 

 is difficult. In good summers, when the ice breaks up, we can 

 calculate upon a fairly rapid disappearance of the bay-ice after the 

 river has begun to flow. 



In 1908 1 had the opportunity of being at the place when the 

 river broke through and brought Sælsøen in connection with Dove 

 Bugt. 



Regarding this my diary contains the following remarks. 



"5tli July 1908. — It is still cold at niglits and tliere is ice in tlie pools 

 in tlie morninf4. In the daytime the midges begin to be troublesome. The 

 butterflies, liumble bees and many other insects are also becoming more 

 numerous and the whortleberry is in flower. The Greenland heatlier, with 

 flowers like those of the lily of the valley, the poppies, the red and the 

 yellow lousewort and a number of other beautiful arctic flowers are now 

 in full blossom. Tlie snow-sparrows are now feeding their young and tlie 

 skua gulfs 1 to 2 eggs are found everywhere. On the ice one or two seals 

 are seen, but they are shj- and difficult to approach. Foxes and hares steal 

 past wherever one goes on land. The ptarmigan have begun to change colour 

 and the small wading birds do all they can to lure one awaj^ from their lairs. 

 The small brooks have decreased in volume, as the snow-fields which fed 

 them are greatly reduced. On the other hand, the small rivers have in- 

 creased surprisingly. Under the snow cover of Lakseelven the river water 

 is forcing its way down to Dove Bugt and in a few days probably the river 

 will be free. For the time being water flows from the bed of the river to 

 Sælsøen, but it must come from the snow. Our salmon net has been set out, 

 but we have got nothing as yet. — — 



7th July 1908. — — Lakseelven has begun to flow and the lake is now 

 connected with the sea. Beautiful salmon — males and ripe females — are 

 now migrating from the salt water up into the lake, but must first pass our 

 net and we catch many in spite of the poor quality of the net. On the ice of 

 the bay, off the mouth of the river, the seals have collected in great numbers 

 — they are also fishing for salmon. A few days ago there were no seals at 

 this spot, but now many are here, sunning themselves near the open chan- 

 nels in the ice. 



8th July. The melting of the ice on the lake and of the snow^ on 



the slopes has been so rapid, that the height of the water in the lake, even 



